Production of show cards, advertisements, signs, decorations, or the like by stenciling



rnonu'c'rron or snow ca nns, AnvERrisEMENrs, srens, Dncoae'rrons, on.THE in i" FEE-R1 H. SCOTT AND GEORGE EGINTOSH SCOTT, OF LONDON, GL i f.

BY STENCILIING.

at Erawing.

jects of the King of Great Britain, residing a at 45 Kingsway, London,W. C. 2, England,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to theProduction of Show Cards, Advertisements, Signs Decorations, or the likeby 'Stenciling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of showcards, advertisements,signs, decorations or other decorative metal articles by stenciling, thechief object being to enable vitreous enamel metal signs and the like tobe manufactured commercially in large numbers in a rapid, inexpensiveand simple manner. I

Hitherto the commercial production 01 vitreous enamel metal signs.particularly signs with complicated or multi-colored designs orlettering thereon, has been limited owing to the many operations andgreat labour andexpense involved in the method of production hithertoemployed. The drawbacks and limitations to printing methods with the aidof a litho-stone or zinc plate. the aerographing method. and thebrushing out method are well known in the trade.

According to the present invention vitreous enamel metal signs or other.decorative articles are produced by preparing a vitreous enamelingcomposition or paint of suitable consistency and drying characteristics,applying, the composition to the vitreous enamel surface to be decoratedby means of a screen or stencil of silk or other meshed material havingpermeable and impermeable portions, and finally heating the article sotreated to a temperature sufiicient to cause fusion of the vitreouscomposition. In the preparation of the paint or composition finelyground quartz-like enamel or enamel frit is used as the body or basewhich is coloured as required by means of the powdered enameling oxidesof commerce and worked up to asuitable consistency to pass through themeshes of the stencil employed. v The fineness of the powdered materialspowder corresponding to two hundred" meshes to the square inch givessatisfactory results. The stencil used with such powder would have about130 to 140 meshes to the square inch, but the fineness of powder useddepends to some extent on the amount of detail to be shown on the metalsign.

In working 11p the powdered quartz-like enamel or fenamel frit and oxidemixture 1nto a suitable pasty mass a liquid must be used that will'i'notpermit of too rapid dryingand yet can ejventually be dried completelywithout causing the surfage to be spoilt by bubbles or otherwise whenthe article is subjected to the 'enamel fusing temperature. Liquid of anoily character should be used. For example we have found that a mixturecomposed of one part by volume of turpentine, 1 part by volume ofbeeswax, and 8 partsby volume of paraflin oil gives excellent results.This oily mixture is taken and mixed with approximate three times itsweight of the quartz-like enamel or enamel frit and oxide mixture andthe whole is ground in a mill after which a small proportion of avarnish such as lithovarnish amounting for example to one to .two percent of the. aforesaid oily mixture is well mixed in. The proportion ofthe coloured oxide to quartz-like enamel or frit depends on the qualityand nature of the oxide and generally speaking varies from 4 to percent. The pasty composition is eflectively and simply applied bypressing it through the meshes of the stencil by means of a squeegee.After stenciling the vitreous enamel metal sheets as above described webeat them sufliciently to dry out the oily medium and then heat themin'a mufile furnace or otherwise to a temperature sufiiciently high tocause fusion of the vitreous enamel background with the vitreouscomposition applied through the'stencil. -for example from say about 600to 1000 C. depending upon the nature of the composition. We therebyobtain real vitreous enamel sheet metal advertising signs or the like. Ir' In carrying out our process particular attention is directed to thecooperative effect between the vitreous paste and the 'permeable meshortion of the stencil. In be ing pressed t rough the mesh, the vitreouspaste is divided up into numerous small particles and so deposited onthe enamel base.

Upon firing, all the ingredients of the paste 1 except the vitreousportion, are readily driven ofi' before the temperature has risen tothat of the fusion point of the vitreous matter. As a result, thevitreous particles of the paste are fused intoa continuous, smooth layeronthe enamel base, and are not subjected to the action of volatilematter bein driven off. Were the paste to be put on through a cutstencil having ties and without any mesh, it could not be evenlyapplied, and furthermore, upon firing, the volatile matters in the pastecould not be so readily driven "ofl since the paste would not be in afinely divided state due to passage through stencil meshes. As a resultthe finished product would be roughand uneven, due both to the imperfectapplication,-

and to the driving off of volatile substances during the fusion of thevitreous material.

'By passing the vitreous paste through a mesh stencil, the mesh of thestencil so modifies the condition of the paste as deposited'on the basethat the stenciled plate can be fired to produce a smooth, even, and hihly glazed product. 2'

n producing many designs, a cut stencil having ties cannot be employed,but it is necessary to use a mesh stencil. With a mesh stencil, however,dry vitreous material cannot be dusted through the mesh. We haveprovided a volatilizable, pasty medium for the particles of vitreousmaterial and thus made possible the use of a mesh stencil with avitreousenamel. Further, the action of the mesh of the stencil, on the vitreouspaste, results in depositing the paste on the base in .a condition suchthat firing of the product will drive 0d the medium portion of the pasteandleave only the vitreous particles when the fusing temperature hasbeen reached. Thus the medium portion of the paste permits use of a meshstencil for vitreous enamel work, and the action of the mesh on thepaste, permits firing of the product so that very satisfactory resultsare attained. I

The manufacture of vitreous enamel signs consisting of metal plateshaving a vitreous enamel'surface and the lettering or designs impressedthereon by means of vitreous enamel compositions and fused into theenameled surface in accordance with the present invention constitutes animportant development in the art and enables vitreous remote enamelmetal signs and the like whether simple or intricate to be manufacturedrapidly and relatively cheaply in large numbers. One distinct advantageis in the case of multi-coloured designs, because each colour can beapplied and quickly dried ready for theappli'cation of the next colour,the actual fusing of-the colours if they do not overlap being carriedout in a single final fusing operation. Moreover the stenoils last aconsiderable time before becoming defective through wear and notechnical skill or special plant such as is required for lithograph workis necessary using the stencils.

Vitreous enamel metal signs and the like manufactured in accordance withour invention are as durable as ordinary enamel ware and will withstandrough usage and weather changes for a great length of time withoutdeterioration.

What We claim is 1. A method, of producing vitreous enamel metal signsand other decorative enamel composition to the vitreous enamel surfacethrough the permeable portions of the stencil, then removing thestencil, and finally heating the product to an enamel fusingtemperature.

3. A method of producing vitreous enamel metal signs and otherdecorative articles, comprising, placing a stencil composed of meshedmaterial having permeable and impermeable portions corresponding to theletters or design to be produced, upon a vitreous enamel surface,pressing a finely ground vitreous enamel paste through the permeableportions of the stencil, then removing the stencil, and finally heatingthe product to an enamel fusing temperature.

4. A method of producing vitreous enamel metal signs and otherdecorative articles, comp-rising, placing a stencil composed of meshedmaterial having permeable and impermeable portions corresponding to theletters or design to be produced, upon a vitreous enamel surface,applying to the enamel surface a finely groundaquartz-like enamelcomposition through the permeable portions of the stencil, then removingthe stencil and finally heating the product to an enamel fusingtemperature. 5. A method of producing multicoloured vitreous enamelmetal signs and other decorative articles, comprising, placing insuccession, a set of stencils composed of meshed material havingpermeable and impermeable portions corresponding to the letters ordesigns to be produced in the respective colors, upon a. vitreous enamelsurface, applying respectively colored vitreous enamel compositions tothe vitreous enamel surface through the permeable portions of therespective stencils, removing each stencil and firing the vitreousportion of'the applied composition before placing a succeeding stencilin position.

HERBERT H. SCOTT.

GEORGE MoINTOSH SCOTT.

